Dr. Overy's KBase: Resources for Teaching and Learning - Glossary

• Scalar Quantities
   A quantity, such as mass, length, or speed, that is completely specified by its magnitude and has no direction
• Vector quantities
  Vectors are quantities that are fully described by both a magnitude and a direction
• contact force
  A force that acts at the point of contact between two objects
• non-contact force
  A force applied to an object by another body that is not in direct contact with it.
• Habitats
  The natural homes or environments of an animal, plant, or other organism
• Symbiotic association
  A special type of interaction between species. Sometimes beneficial, sometimes harmful, these relationships are essential to many organisms and ecosystems, and they provide a balance that can only be achieved by working together
• Defeat device
  Defeat device means a device which measures, senses, or responds to operating variables (e.g., engine speed, temperature, intake pressure or any other parameter) for the purpose of activating, modulating, delaying or deactivating the operation of any component or the function of the emission control system such that the effectiveness of the emission control system is reduced under conditions encountered during normal operation, unless the use of such a device is substantially included in the applied emission certification test procedures.      
  
  Source: Resolution MEPC.176(58), amendments to the Annex of the Protocol of 1978 relating to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (Revised MARPOL Annex VI), 10 October 2008, International Maritime Organization
• Technology
  The application of science, especially to industrial or commercial objectives
• Pollution
  The presence in or introduction into the environment of a substance which has harmful or poisonous effects.
• Alga
  Unicellular or multicellular organisms formerly classified as plants, occurring in fresh or salt water or moist ground, that have chlorophyll and other pigments but lack true stems, roots, and leaves
• KS3
  Key Stage 3 (KS3) is the legal term for the three years of schooling in maintained schools in England and Wales normally known as Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9, when pupils are aged between 11 and 14.
• KS4
  Key Stage 4 (KS4) is the legal term for the two years of school education which incorporate GCSEs, and other exams, in maintained schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland—normally known as Year 10 and 11 in England and Wales, and Year 11 and Year 12 in Northern Ireland, when pupils are aged between 14 and 16.
• AQA
  An awarding body in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It compiles specifications and holds examinations in various subjects at GCSE, AS and A Level and offers vocational qualifications
• OCR
  Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR) is an examination board that sets examinations and awards qualifications (including GCSEs and A-levels). It is one of England,Wales and Northern Ireland's five main examination boards.
• ASE
  The ASE (Association for Science Education) is a community of teachers, technicians, and other professionals supporting science education and is the largest subject association in the UK
• Threatened Species
  Threatened species are any species which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future.
• Extinction
  The act of ending the existence of a plant or animal
• Species
  The largest group of organisms where two hybrids are capable of reproducing fertile offspring, typically using sexual reproduction.
• Antibiotics
  A medicine  that inhibits the growth of or destroys microorganisms.
• MRSA
  A  type of bacteria that's resistant to a number of widely used antibiotics
• Painkillers
  Drugs or medicines for relieving pain
• Microorganism
  An organism that can be seen only with the aid of a microscope and that typically consists of only a single cell.
• Pathogen
  A bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease
• Rubella
  A highly contagious viral disease, spread through contact with discharges from the nose and throat of an infected person
• Nervous System
  The network of nerve cells and fibres which transmits nerve impulses between parts of the body.
• Nucleus
  A membrane-bound organelle within a eukaryotic cell that contains most of the cell's genetic material
• Neurones
  Nerve cells that receive and send electrical signals over long distances within the body
• Receptors
  Organs or cells able to respond to light, heat, or other external stimuli and transmit signals to sensory nerves.
• Synapse
   Junction between two nerve cells, consisting of a minute gap across which impulses pass by diffusion of a neurotransmitter.
• Motor Neurone
  A nerve cell forming part of a pathway along which impulses pass from the brain or spinal cord to a muscle or gland